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Dolphins and Porpoises

Do you know the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin? Both can be found in oceans
all over the world, and both are in the same family of animals, which includes 40 other species.
These ocean animals look similar, but they are very different types of creatures.
Porpoises are smaller than dolphins and are rounder in shape. They have rounded heads and
short noses. Porpoises do not grow longer than 6 feet in length and weigh less than 300 pounds. The
teeth of porpoises are blunt and do not have sharp points like the teeth of dolphins. Porpoises travel
in small groups of 2 to 4.
Dolphins are much larger and have a more elongated shape than porpoises. Dolphins grow
between 6 feet and 26 feet in length and weigh between 70 and 1500 pounds. They have sharp teeth
and long noses. Dolphins travel in sizeable groups, called pods, with 2 to more than 100 members.
Most commonly seen off the coast of North Carolina is the bottlenose dolphin. This smaller
dolphin generally swims close to the shore in groups of 2 to 12. The bottlenose dolphin is light
colored on the belly and dark colored on the back. This special coloring is called an adaptation, and
this helps keep the dolphin safe from other animals.
Dolphins and porpoises are sometimes hunted or accidentally caught by fishermen. Because
the numbers of dolphins and porpoises have declined, these animals are protected and have been
placed on a list of protected species. This means that people are asked to pay special attention to
keeping dolphins and porpoises safe from harm.
Insider’s Guide to the Central Coast, 2003.

1. What is a pod of dolphins?

A. A group of dolphins.
B. Fin of a dolphin.
C. A single porpoise.
D. Teeth of a porpoise.
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2. In this passage, the word blunt means what?

E. Jagged.
F. Pointy.
G. Rounded.
H. Shrill.
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1. What would be another good title for this passage?

A. Dolphins: Divers of the Deep.
B. The Playful Porpoise.
I. The Life Cycle of Dolphins and Porpoises.
D. Dolphins and Porpoises: Similar but Different.
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3. How do you think the coloring of the bottlenose dolphin helps keep it safe from predators?
A. The colors make it harder for other animals to see it.
B. The colors make it look like other dolphin.
C. The colors help keep the dolphin warm.
D. The colors help it swim faster in the water.
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5. How are dolphins different from porpoises?

J. Dolphins are not as long as porpoises.
E. Their teeth are more blunt than those of porpoises.
F. They travel in larger groups than porpoises.
G. Dolphins weigh less than porpoises.
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Imaging: Using what you have learned from the passage, draw a Venn
diagram to compare and contrast the characteristics of porpoises and
dolphins.